Despite the territorial dispute with Asia’s biggest economy, the Philippines believes China will play a key role in helping the country achieve its target of attracting 10 million tourists a year.

According to Tourism Undersecretary Daniel Corpuz, tourist arrivals from China has been growing over the past few years.

In a report submitted to the National Statistical Coordination Board, Corpuz said that the number of Chinese tourists has been increasing since 2010, and that the growth accelerated this year.

Chinese tourists numbered 246,967 in January to July, up year on year by nearly 49 percent.

This is much faster than the 20.9 percent growth in 2010, 29.7 percent in 2011, and 3.2 percent last year.

Growth picked up despite the territorial dispute over areas in the West Philippine Sea.

“Given that government resources are not infinite, it is important to be strategic and to examine data and determine where to focus our attention in attracting tourists to visit our country,” Corpuz said in the report posted on the NSCB’s website.

Based on 2012 figures from the tourism department, more than half, or 58.9 percent, of Chinese tourists who visited the Philippines cited “holiday” as the reason for their visit.

The rest came to the Philippines to visit friends and relatives, and for business, among others.

There were 250,883 Chinese tourists last year, accounting for nearly 6 percent of total tourists in the Philippines in 2012.

Each Chinese tourist was estimated to have spent $55.59 (about P2,300) a day during his or her stay in the Philippines.

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Rico Medina

Honestly I do not want them here. They are mostly rude and they tend to over-stay and build houses in our territories (LOL, thinking they only went to Panatag, Ayungin, Mischief for a little sigth seeing and decided to stay). So be careful what you wish for China might be sending them to us for further occupation of our territory. LOL

risktakerlove8

here they are! rp box invited red termites …. opps so much red termites don’t you know they are excess here in rp box? well if you eager to invite these pest kindly eradicate some native red stingy termites like renato reyes, teddy casino, satur ocampo, and the rest termites and and don’t forget also misuari’s black bugs.

Who said we need Chinese Tourist? How much these chink paid for this publisher? More Chinese in Philippines, more drugs, more FAKEs, more fraud, more corruption and more evil. Look at Napoles, she has Chinese blood. Guess the money is brought now outside to china. Guess she was sent as spy to destabilize the government. But wait, there are quite many Government officials with Chinese blood. Shttt!

Lumad01

Obvious ba In Qua La ?

http://karmaeconomics.blogspot.com/ lavista4u

Now a days it has become a fashion in third world countries to blame China for all its problems….Fix your country first before blaming Chinese tourists who are just here in PH..’cos they like it…

Roads are bad….Its the Chinese…

Politicians are bad…its the Chinese…

Power, food price is high….Its the Chinese…

Corruption in the country…Its the Chinese…

From Brazil to India to Africa to Philippines…..Everyone conveniently blames Chinese for all its problems…when they were no better and worse before China became a global player few decades back….

China was once more poor than Philippines….See, where it is now….Even though China has corruption and other problems….Its doing still quite well..compared to other countries…who blame China for all its problems…